GBA: Places | Country: Belgium

To deliver secure digital services to its customers, financial institution KBC Group wanted to develop two identical data centers, in Mechelen and Heist-op-den-Berg, Belgium. We were asked to manage the project, from program definition to delivery. We designed the facilities to meet TIER III reliability standards, strict security requirements, and to be energy efficient, sustainable, and nature positive.

We mapped KBC’s sustainability ambitions across six themes: energy & CO2, climate adaptation, circularity, nature & biodiversity, health & well-being, and connectivity & mobility. These were translated into principles that would guide the entire design and construction process.

To reduce emissions, we installed photovoltaic panels and reused residual heat to warm nearby KBC offices. Low-carbon materials cut the use of embodied CO₂ by 90% versus standard construction. Rainwater is collected for adiabatic cooling, and backup generators run on Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil, not diesel. Our Biodiversity Net Gain Calculator also helps monitor the biodiversity at both sites.

With these new data centers, KBC is prepared for flexible capacity growth. We can smoothly integrate new technologies, further strengthening our physical and cyber security.

Geert Cromphout, Director of Facilities, Belgium, KBC